Appletell

According to AppleInsider, build 9D32, which will become Mac OS X 10.5.3, is on track to be ready for release at this years WWDC.  With over 220 bug fixes and various updates, this download is going to be a pretty large file, 416MB to be exact.  However, this isn’t the only rather large update expected.  There is also an update anticipated for the iPhone that will bring the App Store to the device as well as the normal bug fixes.  I presume that this file will be relatively large itself, at least for an iPhone update.  With all this updating going on who knows, there may even be some sort of update for other iPods also.  We will have to wait and see, but I’m excited either way.

With all these software updates expected from the conference, I’m sure there is going to be a lot of traffic in the bandwidth from people downloading the new products.  I got to say, I sort of feel bad for my ISP when it comes to events like this.  I usually do the normal web surfing, podcast downloading, bandwidth non-intensive sort of downloading that probably makes my ISP happy with me.  However, when updates like this come around me, along with many others, head over to Software Update as quick as we can click to get the new software, potentially causing a major plug in the pipes.  I look forward to seeing what happens.  Let’s hope you don’t get throttled!

Fueled by the recent snowballing of Mac sales and interest in the iPhone’s mobile WiFi platform, this year’s Apple World Wide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) has sold out for the first time in history.  The exact number of spaces that were available was not put out by Apple, but soon after making the “sold out” announcement, they released the following statement. 

“Response to this year’s WWDC has been off the charts and we are delighted with the show of enthusiasm and support from the developer community for the new iPhone SDK. The conference is now sold out.”

There are many speculations as to what will happen at WWDC ‘08, ranging from 3G iPhones to Tablet Macs (the latter taken with quite a sizable grain of salt).  Based on past WWDC history, chances are slim that any new computer designs will be introduced, as those larger announcement are usually saved for MacWorld (small design updates for the Mac line up are more of a possibility).

Luckily for those who didn’t snag a seat at the conference, videos of the session will be on iTunes shortly after for purchase.

Read [Mac Megatsite]

Apple US Online Store - reads: “Ships: Currently Unavailable”

iPhones have been in high demand recently and the lack of stock in both US and UK Apple stores is not helping the problem. The iPhone is one of the most sought-after devices of the year and both retail and online stores are having their supplies dry up. Many believe this is due to Apple’s expected announcement of the 3G iPhone next month.

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TUAW has received information from an anonymous tipster about future Apple plans. Apparently, .Mac is going to undergo a complete revamp - and will be re-launched at the same time as the iPhone 2.0 launch - which is expected some time in June (most likely in the Worldwide Developers’ Conference). .Mac’s new changes would bring new features to the service for both Mac and Windows users for the first time; some of these features include:

• .Mac push e-mail
• Wireless syncing for calendars, contacts, and email (similar to Microsoft Exchange)
• .Mac syncing on Windows

It makes sense for Apple to integrate .Mac into the iPhone. Wireless syncing of calendars and contacts would make it a big competitor to Microsoft’s Exchange service - which is widely used as the standard for many businesses. .Mac hasn’t been too successful either, this could be Apple’s way of bringing the product to success.

Via [TUAW]

When the SDK for the iPhone is launched at WWDC, it is going to be exhilarating.  Apple has given developers plenty of time to create useful and outstanding apps, and I expect there will be plenty of them.  For example, at the keynote, developers had already made Spore and an instant messaging client in only a couple weeks.  Also, third party developers that have been using Installer.app have also made extremely awesome and helpful apps in a short amount of time.  What does this all mean?  Excitement.  When this whole deal is officially released, there are going to be hundreds of apps released with it.  The functionality of the iPhone is going to skyrocket and it is going to be even more desired.  But the real question is what apps do you really want to see.

First and foremost for me, and probably many others, is some sort of iChat. This would be great to keep in contact with friends on the go and, not to mention, save me a ton of money on text messaging overage fees.  Another application I would love to see would be for voice recording.  Whenever I am on the go, I always end up thinking of something I want to remember.  It could be so easy just to record it in the phone rather than writing a whole note.  This could also be very useful for business people who need to record a quick interview on their phone for later.  Lastly, and more general, I would love to see some awesome games.  There are a lot of times where I’m bored in the car or on a plane and iPhone games would be perfect to pass the time with.  What do you want to see and/or waste your time with?  Games, productivity, educational?  Let us know in the comments!

Developers should hurry up if they still want the early registration price as Apple has now extended this deadline until May 9th.  You can find the normal prices at Apple’s site.  This conference, the 2008 Worldwide Developer Conference, will have 150 hands-on labs and sessions, covering the three subjects of IT, Mac, and iPhone.  This event will be at the Moscone West in San Francisco from June 9th until the 13th.  Here’s what Apple says about it:

The groundbreaking innovations of Mac OS X Leopard and iPhone OS offer two revolutionary development platforms for developers and IT professionals. The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is the only place you can receive technical information on these sophisticated platforms from the engineers who created them. Bring your code to the labs and work one-to-one with Apple engineers, applying development methods and best-practices you gain from sessions to enhance your application.

Let us know if you plan on going or if you have any good stories from past experiences.  Sounds like you can learn a lot at these conferences, and I’m sure it’s a great time for all the Apple developers and fans.  Now go save some money!

Reports from the Chinese news site, Commercial Times, say Apple has asked Foxconn Electronics to begin producing between 24 and 25 million 3G iPhones and to have them ready by June.  The sources for this report come from component suppliers and investors in Taipei.  In case you forgot, throughout the world at this point Apple has sold about 6 million iPhones, which is a bit off from their 10 million device expectation for June.  However, the specs for the 3G device could be what everyone was looking for, which would skyrocket iPhone sales worldwide.  There has already been news of companies, such as TIM, signing deals with Apple for this device, and I think it’s going to be a huge announcement.

One thing is for sure, this device has been hyped like none other, and Apple really needs to nail the official specs for it.  If they do, the 2nd generation of the device will be a huge success, not only with individuals, but with companies.  I can’t wait for WWDC just because of the iPhone announcement that will likely take place, can you?

“Apple might as well put out a press release”, says Forbes’ writer Brian Caulfield. 

With the iPhones sales only at 1.7 million so far, and Apple standing fast with their 10 million iPhones sold by 2009, that can only mean one thing.  There will be a fairly major overhaul of the iPhone, and soon.  The sales announcement was included in a conference call hosted by Steve Jobs, talking about Q2 profits, which, by the way, increase 37% from the previous year.  One thing that was also noted in the call were the soaring Mac sales and the slumping iPhone and iPod sales.  Another interesting little tidbit about the call was the responses from Apple COO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer when asked about details of the possibility of a new iPhone.  Cross Research’s analyst Sharon Cross was the most bold in prodding the two men for information, asking if “Apple will still sell the current-model iPhone once it rolls out an iPhone able to work on high-speed so-called “3G” networks.” Nice try, Sharon.  When shot down by Cook, she replied “We’ve got to try sometimes”. 

It seems pretty apparent that a new iPhone is in the works, and it is only a matter of time.  Leave a message in the comments about whether or not you think the iPhone will get a redesign in the next few months.

Via [Forbes]

After a rather dismal first part of the calendar year, with AAPL shedding over $80 at its worst, things are looking very up for Apple, with many analysts reversing their downgrading of stock estimates for the company.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky raised his target price to $190 a share, Goldman Sachs analyst David Bailey raised his call on AAPL from $175 to $185. Citigroup set a $212 price target. Thomas Weisel Partners raised their call to $195, all in the past week. The consensus seems to be that while iPod/iPhone sales are slower, Mac sales haven’t been better and will boost the company to yet another successful quarter.

On Wednesday, Apple will broadcast it’s 2nd Quarter 2008 Result Conference Call on the web. Last time they had a conference call, they had a record breaking quarter but all anyone could focus on was the fact that iPod sales weren’t fantastic, but rather steady year over year. This sent the stock into a downturn. MacRumors compiled a little list of all that has happened this quarter:

On the Mac front, the early portion of this quarter saw the release of upgraded Mac Pros and Xserves just prior to Macworld San Francisco, with the new MacBook Air following suit at the expo. New Penryn-based MacBook Pros and MacBooks followed at the end of February.

This quarter also saw the release of Time Capsule, revitalized AppleTV and AirPort Express offerings, and higher-capacity models of the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPod shuffle. Also of note, Apple released a limited beta version of the iPhone 2.0 software, including a Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow developers to create third-party applications for the iPhone.

Listen into the call this Wednesday [Apple.com]

La Repubblica, a well known Italian publication, is reporting, in Italian of course, that there will soon be a 3G iPhone in Italy.  However, this would be no normal release.  Supposedly there will be no carrier lock or two month agreement on the device whatsoever, it will just be sold at a higher retail price to begin with.  Telecom Italia Mobile will have the rights to sell the phone exclusively for the first few months, but customers will not have to use TIM as their carrier although it is estimated that 50% of Italian wireless customers use TIM anyways.

If this is the case, this would be a landmark deal for TIM.  Apple has been known to get whatever they want when it comes to deals about the iPhone.  If this rumor is true, Apple may have realized that in order for the phone to truly reach its potential, they need to make it more open.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds as a 3G iPhone wasn’t expected to be even announced until WWDC in June.